Wike: We’ll work to upgrade Abuja master plan

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says the administration under his leadership will work with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on capacity development for nutrition improvement (CADNIP) in the nation’s capital.

The minister also assured on the upgrading of integrated urban development master plan of Abuja on Tuesday when he received Matsunaga Kazuyoshi, the Japan ambassador to Nigeria, who led a delegation from JICA on a courtesy visit to the FCTA.

Wike, who stressed that nutrition is very good for health, education and agriculture in the FCT, said the administration will look into possible ways of increasing budgetary allocation toward nutrition, which, he said has improved in the previous years.

He added that the FCTA will play its part to ensure that the project for the urban development of Abuja comes to fruition.

“I like the presentation of how far you have gone with the nutrition programme. We can see that there are a lot of improvement, and we will want to say that for the 2025 budget we will try as much as we can to see if we can improve on our budgeting system for that,” the minister said.

“Nutrition is very key for health, education and also very key for Agriculture, so if we add more, it will go a long way in improving the standard of these three major sectors.

“On Regional Planning, you can be rest assured that, just like you stated what you expect from us, we assure you that the three items which you have itemised under your expectations from FCTA, be assured that we will do it as quickly as possible.

“For us as head of the FCTA, be rest assured that it is a project that we are keen and committed to and we will do all we can to see that the project comes to fruition”.

Wike, who commended the ambassador for his efforts towards stopping open defecation in the FCT, expressed  hope that the envoy would continue the good work, while wishing him well in his future endeavours.

The minister reminisced the time he was minister of education and had worked with JICA on the teaching of mathematics and other science subjects in schools across the country.

He commended JICA and expressed hope that the project is still ongoing considering its importance in the nation’s education sector.

He reiterated the commitment of the FCTA to continue to work with JICA to fulfil the objective of the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.

Earlier the Japan ambassador to Nigeria said the visit, which was his first and incidentally, his last to the FCT minister as he was leaving in October, was aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Nigeria and Japan.

He added that without the development of the FCT, Nigeria cannot economically grow and prosper.

He said the visit was also to intimate the minister of his project in the FCT to end open defecation, which, according to him, has been a success in the Kwali pilot community, as well as two very important projects by JICA on improving nutrition in the FCT and the Upgrade of the Abuja Master plan.

The envoy urged the minister to make all the necessary commitments toward ensuring that the projects succeed.

He listed what needed to be done on the part of the FCTA as; support for expediting note verbal exchange, official approval process of master plan along uUrban and Regional Planning Act taken by FCTA and seamless collaboration of the FCDA and FCTA for formulation and implementation of Master plan .